African & Oceanic Art | Antiquities

A large heavy slab of marble unearthed in a local rockery revealed itself to be a Roman stele with an honorary inscription forms part of the Antiquity section of the sale. Also included are a number of collections; The Oliver Hoare Collection, a Collection of Oceanic clubs from a European Nobleman, a Private Collection of Textiles.

These include amulets and tools from the Inuit, shellwork from the Pacific, stonework from Central America, wood and metalwork from Africa. The Oceanic weapons show examples of the differing types found mainly in Fiji and Tonga, many with the charming carved glyphs revealing the everyday life on Tonga in the 19^th century. A Tonga club inscribed Tongataboo War Club and dated 1830 is a real delight as is the beautifully carved and powerful Marquesas Islands U’u war club.

A selection of Kuba textiles from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, range from the small square cut pile cloths to the long skirts, all with their characteristic geometric decoration. Another collection has pieces from Egypt, the Congo, Sweden, Persia, Greece and America, including an early Greek silk embroidery from the George Eumorfopoulos Collection.